Rules - all the basic Forge rules in Etiquette at the Forge (policy) apply in this forum, which shouldn't be surprising 'cause I wrote them, with Clinton. The attention to focusing threads on ideas is primary. But that's not all. In addition, for this forum, think tequila. What the hell does that mean? Well, let's see.

1. Warning - In this forum, you'll be seeing less "Forge patriarch" from me. I'll tease you freely and even ruthlessly, swear more crudely and more often, and swat down behaviors I don't like more quickly. My reactions and emotions, including frustration with you, are more exposed. With any luck, you'll see this as a form of intimacy rather than as abuse. It's a lot like when one friend tells another, "That's 'cause you're a dick, you know." And the other friend goes, "Mmm, must be." To enjoy this forum, you'll have to recognize that I don't take care of you, emotionally, as much as I do in the general forums. Basic human courtesy still applies, but it's the foundation for rough, rude, and occasionally gut-revealing camaraderie. We really have to be friends here - otherwise you'll get hurt.

2. The hats - There are three hats I wear here.

One of them is Adept Press as publisher, and bluntly, my goals in this hat are to make money. If you don't like something about the book, my response in this hat is "Thanks for buying the game, citizen! And now for our next letter." The publisher will tell you all about what's up next, or why certain decisions were made, and that sort of thing, but he will never apologize for the books as physical or commercial product. He'll explain the decisions made for commercial purposes, but the basic assumption is that those decisions were non-negotiable. As far as he's concerned, every one of you should buy them all and tell your friends to do the same. The publisher is very forthcoming about the three games' commercial history and physical design, so questions about that are welcome.

The second hat is author and game designer, and this hat has the hardest time, because criticisms and questions about "why'd you do it that way" are taken to heart. In most cases, rules and prose explanations, including tweaks or admissions of inadequacy, are freely provided, and in many cases, discussed in extreme depth. This hat has a certain hard-won thick skin, though, and in many cases, the answer is "Because," or even worse, "Because I have no sympathy for the plight you seem to be in." But for the most part, this hat is pretty nice and really likes the occasional abilities of humans to touch one another via our artistic efforts.

The third hat is fellow role-player, which is the friendliest, most enthusiastic one. When I'm wearing it, we are equals, and it's here that actual play and prep gets discussed in great detail. We're all learning when I'm wearing this hat. Topics include:- actual play and prep, yours and mine- applications of the rules for your particular purposes- fairly in-depth "counseling" about play- fiction and movies discussion, sometimes pretty deeply

So what's this about "tequila?" It's my favorite booze, that's why. It's feral, a bit disturbing, highly tasty, various in quality and taste, mixes well with all sorts of things, and linked (however dubiously) with sudden insights. You might get poetic on whiskey, sentimental on vodka, or intellectual on scotch and brandy ... but on tequila, oh my, you just do not know what Kozmik Trooth will inscribe itself into your brain, or whom you might be giving oral sex to in the stairwell, before the night is through.

All three hats are like this stuff. The publisher is getting scarily powerful lately and even kind of wealthy, and who knows what 2005 will bring? The author/designer has broken through at least two doors of game function and presentation, and is champing at the bit to re-write a couple existing things and to start a couple new ones. The role-player is absolutely fearless now, having rewritten and re-cast every historical role-playing taboo into functional form.

Get a little funky with me, drink some tequila, toss around some insightful epithets to show how much we like each other, and be ready to discover your own boundaries, even to realize with horror that you might be standing outside of them after we've quaffed a few and danced the Chicken together. Know that the hats are different, but it's always me wearing them, and that I don't want this party ever to stop.